Caligraph



G. THURBER. GALIGRAPH.

No. 80,777 X y Patented Nov. 27, 1860.

rinrrn n stares PATENT orrior.

CHARLES THURBER, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

CALIGRAPH.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 30,777, dated November 27, 1860.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES THURBER, of Brook-lyn,Kings county, andState of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCaligraphs; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is aplan; Fig. 2, a side elevation; Fig. .3, a horizontal section taken justbelow the tablet; and Fig. 4, a separate elevation of the pen carrierand its mechanism.

The same letters indicate like parts in all the figures.

My said invention relates to improvements on a caligraph secured to meby Letters Patent of the United States bearing date the 28rd day ofJune, 1857. In my said former invention the tablet, holding the paper tobe written upon had but one motion, which was for spacing the lines.This was inconvenient for the reason that it required either that thetracer or stylus carried by the hand of the writer should be moved overtoo long a space for an instrument of convenient size, or thattheproportional movements between the tracer and the pen should be made sosmall that in many instances persons requiring the use of such aninstrument eX- perienced difficulty in the use of it. I have overcomethe objection by the first part of my present invention which consistsin giving to the tablet a movement parallel with the lines to be writtenin addition to, and in combination with, the movement at right anglesfor spacing the lines, so that the writer, after having traced over thelength of the tracing table to write a portion of one line, may shiftthe tablet laterally while he carries back the tracer and penpreparatory to writing the continuation of the same line. In my saidformer invention ink was supplied either by the use of a large fountainpen or by a small fountain pen with a tube to be supplied from asuitable vessel. This was attended with inconvenience, as fountain pensrequire great care to be kept in order. I have overcome this objectionby the second part of my said invention which consists in combining withthe tracer and pen an ink cup on one end ofa self adapting leverprovided at the other end with a movable plate surrounded by astationary guard plate so that the writer by bringing the point of thetracer in contact with the movall danger of injury to the point of thepen is prevented for the reason that the point of the pen cannot come incontact with any thing so long as the tracer is in contact with theguard plate, and when the tracer enters the hole in the guard plate thepoint of the pen will be sure to enter the ink cup. This is speciallyuseful for the blind or near sighted, and for persons who are verynervous and would find 'difiiculty in .directing the tracer to therequired place for inking the pen. In my said former invention the penwas connected with the pentograph or reducing levers by being fitted toslide in a thimble pen carrier with a spring interposed to make therequired pressure on the paper for writing; but this was found to bedefective, as the friction of the slide would some times prevent the penfrom sliding freely, particularly'when the slide was made sufficientlyaccurate to prevent the pen from wabbling laterally. It is important, inpractice, that the pen should be pressed to the paper by a gentlepressure; but it must have no lateral play and it must be very sensitiveto yield readily'to inequalities.

I have avoided the defect above pointed out by the third part of my saidinvention which consists in combining the pen with the pentograph orreducing levers by a spring arm which is free to turn on its journalsand to vibrate up and down with the pen, a gentle spring beinginterposed between this arm and the reducing levers to make the requiredpressure. And the fourth part of my present invention consists inmounting the tracing and writing mechanism, and the inking mechanism, onthe" frame which carries the tablet, by a turning standard, orequivalent thereof, so that it can be all turned out of the way to givefree access to the tablet for putting on and taking off the paper, aresult which is very desirable particularly when the .caligraph is usedby the blind or by persons of defective sight.

In the accompanying drawings (a) 'represents a suitable frame which maybe placed on a desk or table, but which in fact constitutes, for thepurpose, a desk. To the front edge of this frame is secured whatmay betermed the tracing table (6) the surface of which is adapted to receivea narrow strip of paper with a line to direct the writer in tracing thecharacters in writing, or with an embossed groove if the caligraph beused by the blind.

The back and front rails of the frame, which are parallel, form ways onwhich another and smaller frame (0) termed the tablet frame, slidesfreely from right to left and left to right. The tablet (d) is adaptedto slide on the side rails of this frame (0) for the purpose of spacingthe lines, and the tablet is to be provided with suitable means forsecuring a sheet of paper on its surface. The tablet is held laterallyon the rails of the small frame (a) by ledges so that it can slidewithout the danger of dropping off. And it is to be shifted or movedfrom the tracing table at the end of each line to de-- termine the spacebetween the lines. This motion is given by a lever (e) that turns on afulcrum pin at the outer end of the said lever being provided with aprojection (g) whichis struck and forced back by the tracing mechanismin manner to be presently described. This lever (e) is connected by ajoint link (72,) with the outer end of another lever (i) also turning ona fulcrum pm in the frame (a), and this latter lever, with all itsappendages, is drawn toward the tracing table, by the tension of aspring And it is connected by a joint link with the arm of a turning dogor clip (Z) which turns ona fulcrum pin (m) on a carriage (11,) adaptedto slide on a bar (0) of the main frame (a). As the lever (2') is movedback from the tracing table (6) it first turns the dog or clip (Z) tomake itclip or grip a sliding rod against a, fixed sto or r1 ping pieceon the before nariied c rriage The rod being thus gripped is then movedback by the continued back movement of the lever (2') until the saidlever strikes the end of a set screw at the side of the bar (0) of theframe (a) so that by simply turning this set screw the range of motionof the lever (i) and the parts moved by it, can be adjusted at pleasureto determine the spacing between the lines to be written. I The slidingrod (39) before named slides in ways in the bar (0) and it is parallelwith and its upper edge nearly on a level with the sides of the tabletframe on which the tablet slides, and its upper edge, near each end isnotched to receive two ribs (8, 8) (shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1)projecting from the under face of the tablet so that while the tablet isfree to be moved laterally with its frame (a) on themain frame (a) itcan be moved at right angles on its frame (0) to space the oint.

lines. The purpose of this-lateral motion has already been stated andthe mode of imparting it will be described hereafter.

The writing and the inking apparatus are all attached to a frame (t)connected with a vertical tube or sleeve (u) fitted to turn on astandard at the back of the main frame. By this arrangement the entirewriting and inking apparatus can be turned on the said standard so as tobe put out of the way to give free access to the surface of the tabletfor taking off and putting on sheets of paper.

The tracer or stylus (a) is attached to one end of a rod or lever (72)the other end of which is attached to a short arbor having its journalsfitted to turn in one end of another rod or lever (0) and a bracketpiece (cZ) attached to the said lever (0), so that the tracer lever (b)is free to turn on the axis of its end arbor that the tracer may befreely moved in all directions to trace any required character while atthe same time by the connection of its arbor any movement up and downgiven to the tracer will turn the lever (0) .on its axis. This lever (0)is fitted to turn in a sleeve (6) at the lower end of a vertical arbor(f) mounted in the frame (25) thereby constituting a universal The pen(9) is fitted to and secured by a temper screw, in a tube (h) on theouter end of a small rocking arm called the pen carrier that rocks on anarbor mounted in a frame (72) which is free to turn on an arbor (l) atright angles with and attached to the lever (c), and an arm (7%) of theframe (k) is connected with the tracer lever (b) by a joint link (91/)parallel with the lever (0).

Between the upper surface of the pen carrier (2") and the frame (70)there is interposed a delicate spring (0) with a set screw (79) toregulate its tension on the pen carrier, and below the pen carrier thereis a set screw (9) in a part of the frame (70) on which the pen carrierrests when the pen is not in contact with the paper on the tablet, sothat by the means of this set screw the relations of the point of thepen with the surface of the paper and the point of the tracer with thesurface of the tracing table can be regulated with the utmost accuracy.I prefer so to set the parts that the point of the pen shall touch thesurface of the paper when the point of the tracer is within about aneighth of an inch of the surface of the tracing table, so that when thetracer does touch such surface the pen shall be pressed to the paper bythe tension of the spring (0) which will readily yield to any inequalityin the paper.

From the foregoing it will be seen that whatever motion is given to thepoint of the tracer in any and all directions will be followed by thepoint of the pen reduced by the relative proportions of the parts,except so far as the pen is free to move by the yielding of the spring(0).

The inkstand (a is suitably secured to one end of a lever (Z2 whichturns on a fulcrum at (0 in an arm of the frame (6), and the other endof this lever extends under the lower end of a vertical sliding rod(6Z2) which rests on it, and which is provided at its upper end with aplate (6 placed just under a hole (f) in a fixed plate (9 which Idenominate the guard plate. The distance between the dip hole of theinkstand and the hole in the guard plate (9 is just equal to thedistance between the points of the pen and tracer, so that when thetracer is inserted in the hole (F) of the guard plate the point of thepen will enter the ink stand, and as the point of the tracer is pressedupon the plate (0 that end of the lever on which the rod of this platerests will be depressed and the ink stand at the other end of the leverwill be thereby elevated so that the extent of dip of the pin in the inkcan be regulated at pleasure. And as the distance between the points ofthe pen and tracer is just equal to the distance between the dippinghole in the inkstand and the hole in the guard plate, and the surface ofthis guard plate is above the surface of the plate (6 there is no dangerof injuring the point of the pen by contact with the inkstand, for solong as the point of the tracer is in contact with the surface of theguard plate, the point of the pen will be clear. In this way even ablind person can readily ink the pen by feeling until the point of thetracer reaches the hole in the guard plate. After writing one line, incarrying back the tracer to begin the next line the rear end of thelever (7)) strikes against a projection (g) on the lever (e) of themechanism for spacing the lines by which the tablet is moved thedistance required for the next line.

In the proportions represented the moving of the tracer along the entirelength of the tracing table will move the pen over a space equal only tohalf a line on the tablet, 20 that after half a line has been writtenthe tracer and pen are carried back and the tablet is moved laterally tothe distance of half the line, which is done either with the left hand,taking hold of a handle (if) on the lateral sliding frame (0), or bypressing with the tracer against a projection (71 on the said frame.These proportions may be changed at pleasure. WVhen the apparatus is notin use the point of the tracer is placed in a cup on the end of thelever (h), or in any other convenient place.

Having thus fully described the mode of operation and the special modeof application of my said invention I wish it to be dis-- tinctlyunderstood that I do not limit my claim of invention to the special modeof application herein described as variations may be made in the mode ofapplication without changing the mode of operation or principle of mysaid invention.

WVhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of the means, or the equivalent thereof, for givingto the tablet a movement in the direction of the lines tobe written,with the means, or the equivalent thereof, for giving it a movement atright angles thereto, substantially as and for, the purpose specified.

2. The tracer and pen with their connecting mechanism, substantially asdescribed, in combination with the ink cup and guard plate having a holeinto which the tracer is to be inserted as a guide to insure the entrance of the pen in the ink cup, and to protect the point of the pen,substantially as described.

3. In combination with the tracer and pen and their connecting mechanismsubstantially as described, connecting the ink cup with the movableplate on which the point of the tracer acts by a free lever, or theequivalent thereof, to enable the writer to regulate the dip of the penin the ink, as described.

4. Connecting and combining the pen with the mechanism operated by thetracer, by means of a rocking or vibrating arm and interposed springsubstantially as, and for the purpose, described.

5. Connecting the writing and the inking apparatus with the frame onwhich the tablet moves by means of a swiveling or turning framesubstantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

C. THURBER. Witnesses:

ANDREW DE LACY, HORACE ANDREWS.

